NAMI North Carolina

309 W. Millbrook Rd. Suite 121, Raleigh, NC 27609*919/788-0801

Heard in the Halls

Heard in the Halls is an E-mail service of NAMI North Carolina to provide updates on state legislative and policy issues.  Heard in the Halls is produced for community advocates at least monthly and more frequently during sessions of the General Assembly.  To be added to the Heard in the Halls list send an E-mail to heard@naminc.org with only one word “subscribe” (no quotes) in the subject header. 

05-24-2004

Support Coalition 2001 Funds Bill

Representative Ed Nye from Bladen County has introduced a bill in the North Carolina General Assembly to appropriate the funds recommended by Coalition 2001.  As you know, NAMI North Carolina is a founding member of the Coalition.  In addition to Rep. Nye, the bill has 10 co-sponsors.  The bill summary is below, followed by the full text of the bill. 

The links below can be used to contact Rep. Nye or the co-sponsors, so you can click on them to add your support.  If your representative is NOT listed as a co-sponsor, click on:

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/GIS/Representation/Who_Represents_Me/Who_Represents_Me.html

to find your representative and contact them to sign up as a co-sponsor and to support the bill.

Short Title: Coalition 2001 Funds.

 House Bill 1592

2003-2004 Session

Following is the text of the proposed bill:

              GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

                          SESSION 2003

H                                                             1

                         HOUSE BILL 1592

Short Title: Coalition 2001 Funds. (Public)

Sponsors: Representatives Nye;  Alexander,

Farmer-Butterfield, Insko, Luebke, McLawhorn, Parmon,

Wainwright, Warren, and Weiss.

Referred to: Appropriations.

                          May 20, 2004

                      A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

  HUMAN SERVICES TO FUND SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR MENTAL

  HEALTH, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

  SERVICES COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAM, AS REQUESTED BY COALITION

  2001.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

       SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the

General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services the

sum of thirty-eight million two hundred fifty thousand dollars

($38,250,000) for the 2004-2005 fiscal year.  These funds shall

be allocated for community-based programs providing mental

health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services

as follows:

       (1)  $3,750,000 for residential service assistance.

       (2)  $30,000,000 to reduce the waiting list for services

            and for community capacity building.

       (3)  $3,000,000 for training and workforce development.

       (4)  $1,500,000 for tracking and outcome monitoring.

       SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the

General Fund to the Trust Fund for Mental Health, Developmental

Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services and Bridge Funding

Needs the sum of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) for the

2004-2005 fiscal year.  These funds shall be allocated by the

Department of Health and Human Services as follows:

       (1)  $5,000,000 for residential development.

       (2)  $12,000,000 to reduce the waiting list for

            services, and for service start-up bridge funding

            crisis and other start-up areas for developing

            community capacity.

       (3)  $2,500,000 for training and workforce development.

       (4)  $500,000 for consumer and outcome tracking.

       SECTION 3.  Coalition 2001 urges the General

Assembly to provide automatic inflationary increases in State

and Medicaid dollars for community-based services, and to adopt

a policy that provides for these increases on an annual basis.

       SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1,

2004.